BSN 3-YA- 16
Course Task CU #4
Answer the following questions base on the cited situation. Answer will be
submitted through CANVAS:
You are caring for a 34-year-old patient who experienced blunt chest trauma in a motor
vehicle crash. A chest tube was inserted to treat a simple pneumothorax and hemothorax.
The chest drainage system has drained 400ml of light red fluid during the 1 st 6 hours after
insertion. The patient has become increasingly short of breath during the past hour…
What physical assessment skills and strategies would you use to determine potential changes in the
patient’s respiratory condition?
Look for any irregularities in the patient's chest shape. Examine the breathing and listen for any
signs of difficulty breathing. Do a blood pressure and pulse check on the patient. Check the
oxygen saturation.
What are potential causes of this increasing shortness of breath? What would you do to prepare for
an emergency situation in this patient?
The lungs, heart, or blood arteries inside the chest may have been harmed if breathing
difficulties develop right away after an incident. A quick ABC exam and CPR should be
performed afterwards it may consist of electrocardiography etc..
Consider the scenario and answer the following questions. Case
Study: Community Acquired Pneumonia
Teresa, a 20 year old college student, lives in a small dormitory with 30 other
students. Four weeks after start of classes, she was diagnosed as having
bacterial pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. (10 pts.)
What intervention can the nurse provide to decrease the viscosity of
secretions?
The viscosity of secretions will decrease as humidity rises.
The nurse is assessing Teresa during the admission process. What
manifestations of bacterial pneumonia does the nurse expect to find?
A cough with copious amounts of yellow, green, or blood-tinged mucus is one of the most typical signs
of bacterial pneumonia. piercing chest discomfort that gets worse when you cough or breathe.
The nurse assesses Teresa for arterial hypoxemia. What does the nurse
understand is the reason why this complication develops?
there are 5 types of arterial hypoxemia develops when the high altitude, diffusion, hypoventilation,
shunting and v/q mismatch is present. these are the five different reasons for low oxygen in the blood
The nurse is assessing vital signs and lung sounds every 4 hours. What
complications should the nurse monitor for?
Auscultates breath sounds and monitors vital signs every four hours, especially if a client has a fever, to
look for changes in the patient's clinical status or spikes in temperature.
